New Blue Mt. Lake pavilion plans proposed

INDIANLAKE-Town of Indian Lake officials will submit a new proposal requesting a variance for the construction of a building at the Blue Mountain Lake beach on Route 28 at the next Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, according to Supervisor Barry Hutchins.

The meeting has not yet been scheduled, but it will take place within a month.

The project, which stemmed from the 2009 road construction along Route 28, had received pushback from some residents concerned it would block views of local scenery.

In response, the town and the Beach Beautification Committee, a subcommittee of the Blue Mountain Lake Association, went back to the drawing board, according to Hutchins. The new proposal moves the pavilion 20-30 feet eastward and removes one of the lifeguard equipment storage spaces.

Hutchins was unsure of the exact figures, but he said the law required any structure be roughly 75 feet from the lakeshore and 42 feet from the middle of the highway. Hutchins said the proposed building would be roughly 18 feet from the lakeshore and 40 feet from the middle of the highway.

The proposed building, which would be owned by the town, would serve as a beach pavilion, replacing the existing change houses with a facility that includes changing rooms, lifeguard stations and storage capabilities.

Characterized as user-friendly and handicapped accessible, the project was presented to the Indian Lake Town Board during the fall budget process. The project was awarded $10,000 in the town budget and the remaining $25,000 was raised by the Beach Beautification Committee, according to Hutchins.

Merle Sessions, a resident of Blue Mountain Lake, was opposed to the new proposal.

"I would like to know what the problem would be fixing up the present storage building," Sessions said. "Even though they've moved the pavilion site, it still takes up a valuable piece of real estate. You have limited space on that beach."

Sessions added that he thought the new proposal would still block the view.

Hutchins, however, was confident that after withdrawing the original proposal, the new one would be approved.

"I think the town and (Beach Beautification) Committee have made every attempt to address concerns the Zoning Board had," he said.